Council’s bin response is ‘arrogant’ says protesters

Protesters opposed to Banbridge District Council’s changes to its black bin collections have described the council’s response to their protest as ‘arrogant’.
Banbridge District CouncilBanbridge District Council
Banbridge District Council

In responding to the issues and questions raised in a petition presented to council earlier this month, the local authority claims “strong evidence” that the trial collection model will meet the waste disposal needs of the vast majority of households, when bins are used for the correct materials.

The council also insists it has been clear that where there is a genuine need for a larger green bin, a larger - or additional - black bin, they can be provided free of charge.

However people opposed to the scheme do not agree. Banbridge businessman Drew Gregg speaking on behalf of the protesters, hit back.

He said “The council’s arrogant response to us doesn’t even warrant a full reply on each point, it has only made our group more determined to challenge their decision and to move on with our graduated response to this ludicrous four-week bin collection.”

He continued: “We have given both the council and our councillors every opportunity to scrap this ludicrous four-week collection scheme and to revert back to the two week collection however they choose to not only ignore the petition which was handed over but have, in our opinion, snubbed the thousands of ratepayers who are against this scheme as well as calling us ‘disrespectful to the overwhelming majority of householders in the Banbridge District’.”

Mr Gregg commented: “We told them that their scheme would result in an increase in fly-tipping and would result in rat/mice infestation and we have been proved right already.

“We have already seen evidence of both, we have sought advice from people involved in pest control and the causes of infestation and it all leads to waste management or the lack of it.

“The council even have the audacity to tell us that for instance the storage of soiled nappies in a bin for a four-week period ‘is not an issue specific to the trial or storage of waste in the black bin for a four-week period as opposed to two weeks’ and that this is a ‘hygienic, leak proof, pest proof and odour resistant means of storing’, we would say, what planet are these people living on?”

Mr Gregg continued: “The council also state that the pilot scheme was successful in the Gilford area, this is certainly not the case, if it were then we would not have so many from Gilford joining our ‘Action Group’ and during our random door to door in Gilford we found no resident supporting the four-week collection.”

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